ESP Guitars

History of ESP Guitars

ESP is a Tokyo based company that was started in 1975 by Hisatake Shibuya. Initially, the company focused on producing high quality replacement parts, and, along with fellow Japanese company Ibanez, began developing a reputation for exceptional workmanship.

It wasn't until the early 1980s when ESP began to market and produce hand made, custom instruments for musicians in the New York rock scene. Some of the earliest recipients of ESP guitars were Vernon Reid, Helmet's Page Hamilton and Vinnie Vincent of Kiss. Other famous early endorsers of the ESP brand were George Lynch of Dokken and Dave Mustaine of Megadeath.

Beginning in the new millennium, ESP began to increase its family of guitars by introducing some new lines that both extended their range of available styles to choose from and offered guitars that were available at a more affordable price. In addition to their classic Signature Series line, ESP guitars now offers the Xtone Series of semi-hollow bodies and the LTD series of less expensive models.

Signature Series

The signature series guitars are the ones that made ESP famous. They are still handcrafted in Japan and are constructed of the highest quality components and the finest craftsmanship. Some of the most innovative and important examples are discussed below.

• Kirk Hammet: Kirk Hammet, along with his band mate James Hetfield, is one of the most high profile guitar players in the ESP family of musicians. His KH-2 line of guitars is one of the first guitars ESP began to mass-produce, and it has since become a flagship of their product line. Complete with a Floyd Rose tremolo, EMG active pickups, the famous ESP headstock and skull and crossbones fret markers, the KH-2 is the quintessential ESP guitar.
• George Lynch: Fans of the 1980s heavy metal powerhouse Dokken will certainly recognize some of the guitars in the George Lynch line from the days when MTV still played videos. The Kamikaze, Skull & Snakes and Tiger guitars were all featured prominently in Dokken's earliest videos. The George Lynch line has since expanded to include the radical Super-V as well as the old school GL-56 and GL-256. The latter two guitars are in the vein of Fender Stratocasters and feature distressed finishes that give the guitars a cool vintage feel.
• Alex Laiho: Children of Bodom's Alex Laiho has his own line of original guitars from ESP that reflect his band's raw, heavy sound. The Alexi line features three different guitars all based around an offset Flying V-type body style. Different finishes and hardware options distinguish the different models, but all feature EMG-HG H4 pickups and a thin U Neck shape.

LTD Series

The LTD series from ESP guitars offers lower-priced alternatives to some of the most famous and desirable Signature Series guitars. Manufactured in a factory setting as opposed to their handcrafted cousins in the Signature Series line, the LTD series are beautiful guitars that feature a perfect compromise; they were made for the player who has always wanted an ESP but couldn't really afford to buy a high-end model. The Ax Series, V Series, and EX Series are all pure ESP in design and style, and would be great additions to your guitar collection.

Xtone Series

The Xtone guitars are a major departure from the style that made ESP famous. With semi-hollow bodies and classic rock guitar finishes, they reflect a more rootsy direction from the guitar company. All of the models in the line feature two humbucker pickups and either a Bigsby tremolo or a stop plate bridge. The only exception is the PA-1 semi-acoustic that has a B-Band Electret Film Transducer pick-up installed internally.

A Classic Keeps Getting Better

After Jackson Guitars was sold to Fender in 2002, many devotees of Jackson switched over to the still independent ESP guitars. This has created a boon for the company that they are presently riding with great success. Still best known as a heavy metal guitar company, ESP has worked to redefine itself and to branch out into new directions in style and sound. It will be fascinating to see what the future holds for ESP guitars.